Method of and apparatus for preparing sides of meat for boning on an automatic machine



Oct. 27, 1970 G. AUBERT 3,535,732

v METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING SIDES 0F MEAT FOR BONING ON ANAUTOMATIC MACHINE Original Filed July 25, 1967 IN VENTOR GEORGEQ u BERTBY TM A O R 55 Y5 United States Patent ()1 Int. Cl. A2211 3/10 US. Cl.17-1 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE To prepare a side of meatforboning on an automatic machine a pincers member having a cuttingblade and a notching wedge is used for severing the nerves of the neckand notching the spinal column to give the side of meat a standardspecial configuration.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 655,952, filed on July 25,1967, now Pat. No. 3,483,592, issued Dec. 16, 1969.

The method of the invention comprises suspending the side of meat by thehind leg raising the foreleg towards the hind leg and keeping itsoraised, and of severing the nerves of the neck and notching the spinalcolumn at a level with the collar, on the side of the point of thebrisket or caparison while the side is still warm.

The invention relates to a device intended to give sides of meat, i.e.the half of the animal, a standard rational configuration whereby theycan be functionally arranged on a special machine for automaticallyboning the meat, an operation which is practically impossible to carryout if the sides of meat have not first been given this standard specialconfiguration,

In accordance with the invention the side of meat is suspended by thehind leg raising the foreleg towards the hind leg and keeping it soraised, and the device is used for severing the nerves of the neck andnotching the spinal column at a level with the collar, on the side ofthe point of the brisket or caparison while the side is still warm.

Thanks to the cutting action of this device the side, under the effectof its own weight, assumes a general configuration in which the spinalcolumn is substantially rectilinear, a configuration which isparticularly favourable to subsequent automatic boning of the meat.Moreover, the bones of the shoulder and of the foreleg also assume asubstantially rectilinear general configuration which is equallyfavourable to subsequent automatic bonmg.

In a preferred mode of operation the foreleg is kept raised towards thehind leg by means of a halter which is hooked to the point of thequarter called the flank.

The device embodying the invention comprises pincers for severing thenerve of the neck and for notching the spinal column, the tool beingformed by two jaws which are movable with regard to each other so as tobe able to approach each other and draw apart from each other, thefacing surfaces of the said jaws being equipped, one with a shoulder andthe other with a blade having a cutting edge and with a notching wedge,the edges of the blade and of the wedge coming to bear against the saidshoulder when the pincers are closed.

The invention will be better understood by reading the description whichwill follow and by examining the attached drawings which show, by way ofexample, apparatus for putting the method of the invention into practiceand which also show the different stages of this method.

In these drawings: I

FIG. 1 shows a halter used to keep the foreleg in the raised position;

FIG. 2 shows pincers for severing the nerve of the neck and for notchingthe spinal column; and

FIGS. 3 to 6 show different stages of the method.

The halter shown in FIG. 1 is composed of a flexible strap 1 formed, forexample, by a strip of leather or other appropriate material, this strapbeing in the shape of a loop, the two sides 2 and 3 of which have theirextremities connected and firmly fixed one to the other,

for example in a ferrule 4 which is integral with apointed hook 5.

The pincers shown in FIG. 2 comprise two jaws 11, 12 which are movablewith regard to one anotherso as to be able to draw away from each otherand to approach each other. In the example shown these two jaws arearticulated on a common shaft 13 and have extensions 16 and 17respectively, forming manipulating limb terminating in handles 18, 19.

The part of the jaw 11 which faces the other jaw 12 has a shoulder 21which, in this example, is flat and composed of a plate built onto thejaw 11.

The surface of the jaw 12 which faces the shoulder 21 of the jaw 11carries a cutting blade 23 and notching wedge 24. The notching wedge 24,is of triangular section, and acts as a punch, i.e. it is hollow with aview to punching the spinal column in the shape of a V, in such a waythat the two branches of the V can reunite, which allows the spinalcolumn to straighten by its own weight.

The triangular shape of this punch is preferable to the circular shapeof a conventional punch, as tests have shown that the spinal column andthe collar hold up better once stiffened, at the time of boning, whenthe cut of the spinal column is straight and clean.

The edge of the cutting blade 23 bears against the shoulder 21 of theother limb when the pincers are closed. In the same way, the edge of thewedge 24 also bears against the shoulder 21 when the pincers are closed.

To use this apparatus one proceeds in the following manner:

A side of meat 31 which is to be prepared is suspended by the hind leg32, for example from a hook 33. The spinal column, designated as a wholeby 34, presents in the neighbourhood of the shoulder 35 a curvilinearpart 34A, the curvature of which is relatively very pronounced.

The first stage of the operation consists of raising the foreleg 36 andof keeping it raised by means of the halter 1 shown on FIG. 1, the hook5 of which is planted at the point 38 of the side 31 called the flank.The length of the halter 1 is such that the shoulder and the foreleg 36assume substantially the position shown on FIG. 4, in which the bones41, 42, 43 are arranged in a straight line, as a continuation one of theother.

By means of the pincers shown on FIG. 2 the nerve of the neck 44 is thensevered and a notch, such as 45 (see more especially FIG. 6), is made inthe spinal column 34, at a place which is on a level with the collar.This notch, thanks to the shape of the wedge 24 of the pincers, appearsin the shape of a V open towards the point of the brisket or caparisonof the quarter.

FIG. 5 shows the way of placing the pincers for severing the nerve ofthe neck and notching the spinal column, whilst FIG. 6 shows the nerve44 severed as indicated at 44A and the spinal column 34 notched asindicated at 45. Because the side of meat is still warm, which is anindispensable condition forming part of the method, the whole of themass, under the effect of its own weight, assumes a general verticalconfiguration which is rectilinear, more particularly as for as thespinal column 34 r 3 is concerned. This shape will be preserved whenquarters cut from the side have been chilled and will allow subsquentboning on an automatic machine.

It will also be noted that the part formed by the shoulder 35 and theforeleg 36 also forms a whole of a general configuration which issubstantially rectilinear, which is especially favourable to subsequentautomatic boning.

The severance of the nerve of the neck and the notching of the spinalcolumn are effected, for cattle at the height of the breastbone and ofthe fore ribs, and for sheep and other animals at the correspondingplace.

The pincers shown and described are hand pincers, but one couldobviously use pincers which are driven mechanically, electrically orpneumatically for example.

The invention is, of course, not restricted to the modes of operationand tools described and shown. Modifications can be made thereto,without however departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A device for preparing a side of meat for boning on an automaticmachine comprising pincers means for severing the nerve in the neck andfor notching the spinal column in a side of meat, said pincers meanscomprising a first jaw, a second jaw, and means for pivotally connectingsaid first and second jaws so that they can be moved toward and awayfrom one another, said first and second jaws extending longitudinallyfrom said means for connecting them together, said first jaw having afirst end adjacent said means for pivotally connecting said jaws and asecond end remote in the longitudinal direction from said means forpivotally connecting said jaws together, a cutting blade and a notchingwedge secured to and extending from said first jaw toward said secondjaw with said blade and notching wedge disposed in longitudinalalignment on said first jaw with said blade being located closer to thefirst end of said first jaw and said wedge located closer to the secondend thereof, said second jaw having a plate-like shoulder securedthereto with a flat surface thereon facing toward said blade and wedge,the cutting edge of said cutting blade being rectilinear and extendingin longitudinal direction of said first jaw, said notching wedge havinga triangular shaped end at its end remote from said first jaw and saidtriangular shaped end having two sides extending in divergingrelationship from an apex located adjacent said cutting blade toward thesecond end of said jaw and the third side of said end interconnectingsaid two sides extending transversely of the longitudinal direction ofsaid first jaw, said cutting edge of said blade and said triangular endof said wedge simultaneously contacting said fiat surface of said secondjaw when said jaws are pivoted toward one another so that said bladecuts the nerves in the neck and said notching wedge punches atriangularly shaped opening in the spinal column of the side of meat.

2. A device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said triangularly shapedend of said notching wedge is hollow and the opening formed therein istriangularly shaped being defined by said sides forming saidtriangularly shaped end.

3. A device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein a handle is secured toeach of said first and second jaws for moving said jaws toward and awayfrom one another.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 311,121 1/1885 Hair 30363 584,9256/1897 Cooke 30-359 2,145,210 1/1939 Chason 30-363 LUCIE H.LAUDENSLAGER, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 30363

